Three weeks into lockdown. We’re more fortunate than most, we have enough room in the house to keep to ourselves if we need to and a garden with a view. Both my wife and I are working from home and our employers seem secure for the immediate future, although who knows in the longer term. The kids are being set work each day (including, to their disgust, over what would have been the Easter break) and are old enough to get on with it with minimal supervision. I’m conscious the whole time that many are in a far worse situation and my thoughts are with them.

It’s not always easy to know just how cautious we should be. What precautions should we take when bringing things into the home, whether delivered or bought on one of our infrequent forays to the shops for supplies? Someone on a local WhatsApp group asked about sanitation protocols a week or two back in the context of sharing things between families. It hadn’t really occurred to me.

Should we clean everything that comes into the house? Immediately unwrap and discard packaging? What about putting wrapped things in the fridge? We wash our hands and try to minimise contact with people and things outside the house, but how far should we go? For a moment I had visions of deliveries piled outside houses for days while fearful occupants wait for a safe period to elapse, their contents spoiling or providing an unexpected bounty to the local wildlife.

I had mild symptoms of something around two and a half weeks back. We observed the guidelines on isolation and distancing, and no one else has fallen ill since. Did I have COVID-19? I may never know. I’m not likely to be high up the list for antibody testing, if that ever arrives. If I had it, I was lucky - back on my feet after two days, and back to work after four. Again, I’m conscious of my good fortune, despite not really knowing.

Keep safe everyone.